Today’s ONS figures show the self-employed account for just under 15% of total employment, the highest it has been in two decades. The numbers in self-employment have grown by over 7% in year, compared to growth of just 1.6% in the number of employees. SMF Chief Economist Nida Broughton asks whether this a good thing or not?
In the years since the financial crisis, working age households have seen wage stagnation and rises in the cost of living, prompting widespread focus on the so-called "squeezed middle". This report looks at the reality of middle income households coming out of the downturn - using the British Household Panel Survey and Understanding Society to track specific households over time.